Spark of Ra #7 – New Mission

Scene Setup: A week has passed and I’ve been doing some training with the assassins. I return one morning, a little late, and Rakunapten corners me and demands to know what I’ve been doing to restore the Priesthood to the palace.Die of Fate: Possible random event happens on roll of 6: 3. Scene proceeds as planned.Scene Goal: Convince Rakunapten that I’m still working towards restoring the Priesthood without revealing that I joined the assassins that put his son in a coma.

To start, I’ve got a week of practice. I’ve been practicing Knives with the assassins, as that’s their weapon of choice. I’ll go for a Challenging test, 8hrs / day. Practiced one week. I’ll need three more weeks to gain that test.

I enter the compound quietly, moving with a purpose, but not so much that I attract attention. Looking around, I see more people walking around than I’d anticipated. It seems that I stayed out longer than I wanted so I could get back without anyone noticing.

As I’m about to turn into the building that leads to my room, I hear a very familiar voice scream out at me. The voice is red with anger, dripping with derision. “Tekrinto!” With a sigh, I stop.

I turn around with a small smile, “Yes, uncle, what can I do do you this fine morning?”

He snarls in reply as he strides jerkily across the compound’s courtyard, his muscles tense with his anger. “Do?!” he screams, “I’ll tell you what you can do! You can do your job!” He screams louder the closer he gets to me. I try to hide my wince but I’m not very successful.

“Uncle, I have been doing my job. I am here during the day to protect the Priesthood.” I look back at him, my small smile feeling more pained than anything else.

He scoffs in reply. “Yes, you are here during the day. Sleeping! What good is a guard if he’s not aware?” My uncle speaks with his hands with lots of waving and pointing. “You’re useless during the day. Besides, you’re not supposed to be here protecting the Priesthood. You have a different job. You know that!” He lowers his voice at the end as if trying to protect some secret. I’m sure that everyone within this compound knows that I’m working on getting revenge on those who put us out of our rightful place.

I sigh. “Uncle, I swear to you, I am doing my job. Please, just take my word for it.” I know what his response is going to be before he gives it. His guffaws echo on the stone walls of the small compound drawing the eye of everyone around.

He draws in closer and I can smell the fish from his breakfast on his breath. “It’s been two weeks since I’ve seen you do anything to further your task. Two weeks with no results. I am not impressed. I am not satisfied. Tell me exactly what you’ve been doing with your time! If you’ve not been on task, I swear to you, nephew, you will regret it.”

My Instinct of “Never tell the truth when a lie will do” is very applicable here. I don’t want him to know I’m in with the assassins. I can’t tell him that I killed the assassin as that would be too close to the truth and might lead to that reveal. Time for a bald-faced lie. If I fail, I think he’s going to give me some shit job to accomplish for him.

I move in even closer to him, turning to present more of my back to our observers, facing one of the stone walls. “Uncle, I have been out watching the priests of Anubis. I’m sure they are plotting against the God-Empress herself. I tracked two of the priests to the river bank and overheard them discussing some dark ritual to bring back her father and place him back on he throne!”

Rolling Falsehood. I’m going to take an Advantage die because the Priesthood Anubis is always about raising people from the dead, right? … Probably going to have to roll Priesthood-wise to establish that. That’s definitely an interesting fact, Ob 2. I don’t have that Wise, so I’m at double Ob for a total of 4. Rolling my Perception of B4. 1, 1, 4, 5. 4v4 is a Difficult test so counts for Perception and that is not true. So, no Advantage die. Rolling my B3 Falsehood v. his Will of B6. Joy… 2, 5, 6. I’ll save my Fate and take the failure.

After I finish speaking, he looks at me, straight in the eye, breathing heavily. Suddenly, his hand flashes out and slaps my cheek. “Lazy and a liar! Fine. I’ll find someone else to take on your task.” With that, he stomps away.

Ok, is he going to send me away? Odds are very good, 75%. Rolling d100: 96. So, he’s not. I’m going to get a task to stay here in the capital.

Rubbing my cheek, I avoid everyone else’s gaze and walk to my room, my eyes cast down to the ground.

I don’t see my uncle again until the sun goes down. I get cleaned up and get some sleep and dinner after I get up. Just as I’m getting ready to head out for the night, I hear him clear his throat in my doorway.

“Heading out for another night of carousing, then?” I look over my shoulder and just shake my head. There’s nothing to say. He snorts. “You’ll have to cancel your planned activities. I’ve got a job for you.”

He tells me that the Priesthood had commissioned a work of art from a local artisan but now that the Priesthood of Ra has been removed from the Palace, the artisan doesn’t want to give them the piece. I am to go and retrieve the piece from Canrito, the artisan, by whatever means necessary. Without another word, he turns and walks off.